Chapter4

//**10 Traits of Highly Effective Teachers**//

**Chapter 4** **Teaching traits that get results: Motivational expertise** On p. 70, McEwan discusses an ineffective teacher's low level of efficacy. She talks about how an ineffective teacher will often blame their own problems on the learner; and once this happens, they have no influence on changing those problems. "The problem is framed as being outside of the teacher's province of control."

I don't know about you, but I have worked with these people. What have you learned from experiences, or from this reading that will help you deal with this type of individual?

DanI Carter- This is the most frustrating thing to me of becoming a principal. I struggle at being a coworker with those that have this frame of mind, so I really hope I develop a better way to handle this situation as a principal. I have learned from the experience of working with a couple coworkers that have this attitude that sometimes people aren't meant for teaching. I know that is horrible to say because the teachers are currently teaching our students, but there has to be a way to get those teachers into a new profession. I am adamant on documentation when it comes to teachers that are ineffective. If a principal collects adequate data throughout the school year, isn't that enough to justify not doing their job? I am very young in this career so I do not know all the in's and out's of the law, but I feel like there has to be something that can be done. I know there are certain steps that a principal is probably required to do before the discussion of the teacher leaving is approached. One thought would be that they require the teacher to go through a mentoring type program again like they did when they first started. This would help because the mentor teacher could support the ineffective teacher with new ideas and concepts. Also as a principal in this situation I would make sure I am out and about enough in the classrooms that I can see development or retention that is occurring. Any thoughts to help ease my mind on this topic would be great as this is my most fearful aspect of being a principal.

Katie Kimber: I also struggle with this Dani! I often want teachers to have the same mind set as me, they need to try all they can to help every student. I also agree with you about documentation. I have seen many principals fail to document situations with teachers and the improvement process for those teachers has to start from where the documentation starts, even if the problem has been ongoing. As a future leader, I would be sure to being documentation early and remember that conversations should be about improving not just scaring teachers away.

I do want teachers to realize that sometimes what comes across as students not caring could be because they are not being taught in a way that works for them, or maybe they have unmet environmental needs, so they are not coming to school with all of the tools ready to learn. In my position as transition facilitator, I have had to help some people see that they do have control. I have done this by encouraging staff to have conversations with students about their lives and use strategies to develop relationships with them.

I found it really interesting on page 72 that the authors mentioned that, “highly effective teachers rarely had to rely on a printed set of rules to get the best out of their students…” The authors note that for these teachers a behavior plan is more like insurance, but the real plan is a meaningful curriculum and a well managed classroom. I think this has great implications for evaluators. As evaluators it will be important to make sure that we are delivering the message about how important instruction is. I remember one of my principals saying if students are engaged and excited to come to your class, they won’t be tardy and they won’t cause a problem. I think she was on to something…

Laughlin: I agree with both Dani and Katie on how frustrating this is to see teachers who blame kids for not learning something and do not necessarily take responsibility themselves for not teaching the concepts in ways that all students can learn it. Similar to Katie's position, I have worked with teachers in a previous district, as well as my current district, in providing support as an instructional coach. I would go into their classrooms and assist them in a variety of ways to improve student achievement. I would always start out asking the teacher what do they know about the students, then I would observe them teaching and see if what they said they knew about students (the relationships) were actually seen in the classrooms....I have to be honest sometimes the relationships were there and other times they were not. This was and still is the frustrating part to me if teachers were saying they had built relationships with kids and really had not. But I question do the teachers really know how to build relationships with students or is it they just do not value knowing the students in their classroom?

After all of this observing of classrooms I would say documentation, like Dani and Katie stated, is crucial for assisting a teacher. I would go about it in a positive manner though and not documentation for a negative reason. As a principal I feel it is important to help teachers improve and to have documentation to support what improvement needs to occur, as well as documentation to the strengths of the teachers instruction. Then to follow up with teachers and assist them with how to improve upon whatever is needed, or find them others who can support them and encourage them to continue with their strengths.

Another thing as a principal I would do is to model with the staff, not "telling them" but by modeling by example. I would set high expectations for them and build relationships with each individual teacher and be consistent with those expectations of culture and climate and educational learning in the building. I believe leadership needs to show by example for others to follow and this will eventually trickle into those classrooms who may not have this trait, and will strengthen those teachers beliefs who already have it to continue.

Christine Jacobs- This chapter highlighted a few main points for me that will be helpful when dealing with difficult teachers such as mentioned. First, on page 78, "Highly effective teachers do not merely set forth their expectations and let those students who are unmotivated or less able fail. Nor do they have one set of expectations for high-achieving students and another for low-achieving students." I think when evaluations are done effectively, the principal should ask the same types of questions I mentioned in the last chapter, "What are the learning objectives and goals?" "What are the assessments you will use to measure the learning?" "How will you know that the student(s) are learning?" I think ownership of the instruction and individualized learning concepts must be internalized by each teacher. They must know their role and have high expectations for all learners. Instruction must be differentiated. I think teachers need many examples of differentiated instruction. They need frequent walk thru observations that will provide them with feedback on WHAT ARE effective instructional practices and WHAT ARE NOT. Again, I mentioned this in one of my curriculum reflections this week, that Marzano's iobservation reflections and software is a great tool to use to help teachers that just don't get it, and like to put the blame elsewhere, when the achievement results are not where they need to be.

I have definitely worked with some of these people and it is very frustrating!! They truly see themselves as being unable to influence a student or a situation when they are able to place the blame somewhere else - attendance, motivation, lack of family involvement, etc. I plan to use the lines of the author when I can - "I expected a whole lot more! Students who don't arrive at school with a built-in set of expectations need highly effective teachers to give them theirs!!" I always take conversations back to the student, or point out making sure we focus on the things we can influence while they are in school and not the ones we cannot. Those do not give us an excuse to give up on a child! We should always be searching for a solution!

I had a conversation about a student last week who is in danger of not graduating. It is a student who has received extensive amounts of support over the last four years, both behaviorally and academically. He is making bad choices and the team was leaning toward letting him ride out the current plan, which we knew would end badly! I told the team I would rather be able to say at the end of the year that we as a team did everything we could to help this student. (Pugh)

I sit in these meetings quite frequently where blame is placed elsewhere. One principal will share his concerns with me privately about wanting teachers to really take a look in the mirror when it came to lack of student achievement. One way to handle this situation is bringing out data, especially when it is beyond just one student in the classroom and just one year here or there. The data our principal likes to pull out looks over multiple years of data and he will have the tough conversation if necessary when students are not achieving in the teachers classroom. The principal states you can’t have this conversation after one year or two years of data but after three and there is a clear pattern, then you have to have the conversation with the teacher(s). It is our moral obligation.

When I am with a teacher who tends to fall into this category, I really watching my questioning techniques. I stick to the data and try to help “diagnose” the issue with the teacher. We set a plan together and decide on how we are going to chart the data. If the teacher discusses home life, then we work within the school to find any additional resources to help the student. For example, if the student does not have homework support at home, as a school we set the student up with an adult they can check in with at the beginning of the day to assist with work completion. We also cut back on assignments for students if we know they are not going to be able to complete it at home. I have also had to be frank with teachers and simply state, we are simply looking at what we need to do to help this student and set up a plan for him/her to be successful. I am not here to blame the student or the teacher but I just want the facts and ways to help them. (Breitfelder)

Bagnall: This is one that I feel very strongly about. I teach because I know I can make a difference. I teach in a district where even the principal wants to blame the parents and students for academic underachievement so you can image what the majority of teachers believe. If you are in retail and you blame the economy for your lack of sales, I will predict you will be out of business in 12 months. A salesman who blames poor sales on the economy will be let go. This isn't just an educational issue, every industry deals with it. It's the mindset that is most troubling--the fact that a person feels helpless to be successful. Ask a teacher who has successful students who is to blame for their students success and see if they say the students,parents, or the environment--most likely they believe they had a part in it. No one wants to claim the dropouts. I know I will be dealing with teachers that think this way. I will first want them to articulate their learning and teaching philosophizes. Going back to the three characteristics that effective teachers have, they should have strong and specific beliefs. If they don't I will ask probing questions to help develop their philosophy. I will provide information on research based instructional strategies to help them motivate students in the classroom and when I am observing I can make observations about "energy", respectful interaction with students, and conveying high expectations. Question, question, question. I like to ask teachers how many A's they expect students to earn by the final of the class (relates back to Travis discussing Dan Gable in our other class) and then ask why they don't expect them to all get A's. I usually get a list of reasons why, and none of them is poor instruction. As a principal I will do the same then go through the list with them and discuss how we can positively influence those factors.

J. Schutte: I have dealt with teachers that are quick to blame others or outside factors for their students not achieving. A majority of those teachers have retired now or are in the process of. I must admint that I get defensive at times when our school constantly is criticised for our low-achieving students. Our district continues to show academic growth on standardized tests, but it is not at the trajectory rate that our government expects. My colleagues and I get frustrated by all of our efforts when good just is never good enough. We have a great group of teachers at our district that put the students first and their egos aside. For example, we have a couple students that were not making gains in reading, we have since switched them to a different teacher hoping that teacher could make a difference.

I believe that I can make a difference in my students' lives and push my students for the highest possible behavioral and academic standards. My other frustration comes with the lack of parental involvement and an administrator's belief that "this is the way it is" for these kids. We are dealing with a group of students living in poverty. It is our job as educators to try to break the poverty cycle. We need to not only educate the children but help the parents learn what is expected of them. So, my expectations are high not only for my students but for the parents as well. As an administrator, I hope to convey that to all stakeholders involved.

Maier: This situation can be incredibly frustrating! I’m actually dealing with this right now with one of my grade level colleagues and it’s driving me crazy. Her constant negativity and complaints about her students is unbearable. The worst part of people who are negative and blame students is that it seems other people catch on and before you know it everyone has the same attitude. It is definitely something that needs to be addressed as soon as it comes up. However, I think it is also a tough problem to solve because it seems to be in the person’s mindset.

I echo others in saying that keeping up with documentation is incredibly important to getting these types of teachers out of the profession. I also feel setting up, modeling, and reinforcing positive expectations right away is very important to trying to curb this from happening. I’ll also go back to my go-to of relationship building. Knowing all teachers well enough to have those tough conversations and find out what is at the root of their frustrations. If they can truly identify the problem, you can work through it and change their opinions. Of course, there are those out there that have excuses for everything and don’t want to take responsibility for their actions. This is where the documentation will come into play.

I am torn on this statement. On one hand I often hear about the students being the problem in the classroon from teachers who are sturggling with instruction and curriculum. However, we often hear the administration say that we as teachers are the one thing that can create learners out of all students. What I have a hard time with is the idea that students have several other factors outside of school that we as teachers have no control over. For example, we can feed students at school, listen to them, teach them skills, but we cannot make their homelife and better. On the other hand, I think there are teachers that struggle with curriculum and reaching a new generation of students, especially in terms of technology. However with training, this gap can be reduced and students can truly be effected by these teachers. I feel I make a difference in the life of my students in many ways, but I cannot change what happens outside of school, only the way the students respond and handle the situation. It is my belief that if we can teach students life skills, alomg with content we have done our jobs as teachers. (Zabel)

// Sherri Peterson I too have worked with teachers who blame the students, the parents, or society rather than looking in the mirror. In recent years in the WCSD much of our PD has emphasized the idea that we as teachers are responsible for the learning that takes place in our classrooms and I belicve that this idea is frequently reinforced in the professional development provided for teachers and in the leadership training that I participate in. There **are** factors outside of the school day that influence the readiness for learning that we see in our classrooms. In the early childhood classrooms that I have taught in and that I now supervise and support, we see an array of "school-ready" behaviors. At the school where I now work we have a much lower rate of students who qualify for free or reduced lunches than in my two previous schools and it is evident that poverty can be a real deterrant to providing a home that supports these school behaviors. This is evidenced by the attendance, parent participation, and the skills that students bring to school. This is not an excuse for a teacher who is ineffective, however. When these students who do not exhibit the school-ready behaviors that we would like to see are exposed to an engaging curriculum that is developmentally appropriate, yet rigorous and relevant they make remarkable progress. If their parents or families are provided with specific ideas and the materials to implement them, they too make progress in their ability to foster good habits in the home environment. The teacher-parent connection is as important as the teacher-student connection in an early childhood classroom and it is a focus in our WCSD programs. Teachers conduct home visits and school conferences at least six times during the year and a monthly Family Gathering that focuses on curriculum is held at each early childhood site. Parents respond positively to these opportunities. // // I seldom hear a teacher express the idea that the lack of progress that an individual student is making is the fault of his home environment or the fault of the community that the child is growing up in but for a few teachers it is obvious that they don't feel entirely responsible for the outcomes iwhen they are less than ideal. For these teachers it is important that the principal or school leader recognizes this and helps the teacher to focus on the curriculum, the accomodations and modifications that students may need, and ongoing assessment. Documentation is critical in order for the leader to help the teacher focus on what matters most. // // On p. 68 McEwaqn describes the three ways that highly effective teachers motivate students: 1. through their personal teaching efficacy, 2. through high behavioral expectations for students, and 3. through high academic expectations for students. Helping an ineffective teacher to focus on these three things would be a way for a leader to stop the blame game. In my experience, ineffective teachers are often lacking in some or all of these expectations. //

// (Moran) As I'm sure everyone on here has heard negativity and hear blame passed on failing students on the students themselves, I also have heard such comments. Blame certainly doesn't stop at the students however, I've heard blame shifted to parents, the community, and other colleagues as well. I think the chapter did a great job of encompassing these issues and reaffirmed beliefs with which should be taught. While reading this chapter I couldn't help think about colleagues who have placed blame on students and how I've reacted. Usually I hear something like "this kid doesn't turn anything in and he's SOL in my class"...."I wash my hands of him/her." I understand the frustration but then I go on to say how I've responded to those challenges. Something like on p.68 is usually what I say, which has to do with behavioral and high academic expectations for students. Obviously a detailed conversation is necessary but that's usually the spiel I give. I've sent rubrics, syllabi, and examples of meaningful homework to SUBTLY combat their unfortunate beliefs that consume them at the moment. I'm of the opinion that teachers like this are more often easier to turn around than not. Teachers like this are begging to be educated about methodologies and expectations. I don't think establishing those beliefs in a professional development session is out of the question. It is important to have these conversations and hopefully you have more teachers than not believe that all students can learn. //

Jordan Henrichs: I think this chapter is all about motivation and frame of mind. Realistically, I know that I am probably not going to reach //every// student in my classroom, //every// year. But that doesn't mean I use that as an excuse to stop //trying//! It's about frame of mind. It's about Covey's first habit, being proactive. An effective teacher chooses a proactive stance. Like Jamie mentioned above, I understand that I have no control over my students' home lives. I have no control over what type of environment they live in and what types of resources they are lacking at home. But I //do// have control over the environment I provide for them. At first, I thought some of Covey's "Leader in Me" stuff was kind of hokey. But the more we get into it as a district, the more power I see. As a principal, I will bring some of Covey's teachings to the minds of my staff, whether it be in staff meetings or professional development settings. His first "habit" alone, has much relevance here! Teachers, being proactive, teaching their students to be proactive! Are some of the problems that hold students back in school, outside of the teacher's control? You bet. An effective teacher though, chooses to believe that they can change those problems anyway, despite them being outside of their control. I'm not saying that teacher will change them. I'm not saying that teacher will reach that student. It's the fact that they //think// they can!

I also think we have a lot to learn about motivation. What motivates us as teachers and what motivates our students? Putting in extra effort to get through to that one problem child, and seeing it pay off in some way, is incredibly rewarding to me. Rewarding enough for me to try it all over again with another problem student. And another. And another. I won't always get through, like I said before, but knowing that any given year I just might, is motivation enough for me to keep trying. I've been obsessed with Daniel Pink lately after a few members of the cohort mentioned him (I had never heard of him). I've been reading his novel //Drive// and think some of what he raises could be incredibly powerful for a staff of teachers, in shifting their frame of mind and looking at problem students in a proactive way.

I think as a principal, introducing my staff to Covey, Pink, and even our favorite Mr. Whitaker ("treat all students with respect, all the time") could help combat these types of teachers and these types of excuses. If not, as a principal model model model this behavior and expectation. Early in my career, I used some of these excuses myself. I haven't in a long time though! Having "been there," I hope, will help me work with my staff in the future on shifting their frame of mind and building a positive attitude.

(Daters) Data! Data! Data! I truly believe that numbers say what someone's voice cannot get across and if the data isn't there, then the evaluator needs to re-examine the entire situation. Sure it will take time, wasted time unfortunately. But over time if the data repeatedly shows the same thing from one class to then next then eventually the teacher will either get sick of looking at the data and quit or they will realize there needs to be change. I also feel that professional development is HUGE. If you know a teacher is struggling with a certain subject area or with a certain strategies of instruction, then the principal needs to provide the teacher with excess professional development. Just like the idea of drowning the teacher in data, drowning them in professional development is another approach or one to use while you are collecting the data. I think another idea here is to send expert teachers to professional development with the teacher so they can "brainstorm" "cool/new" ideas together.

Emilie: These can be difficult situations to handle. In an ideal situation teachers would have a protocol to follow to consistently reflect on their teaching practices, like one that Marzano writes about. Having a consistent protocol, along with good administrative leadership and shared vision and goals, can assist in moving teachers with this mindset forward.

In the three years of teaching I have had few run-ins with fixing this type of problem. However, it is apparent that throughout my school there are many that feel this way. It is an easy trap to fall into - who wants to hold themselves accountable when problems can be easily blamed on another? The problem is that this is a contagious thought process that can easily spread throughout a staff. Where the problem with that theory rests in the "I will teach and you will learn" mindset as opposed to "all students can learn. Furthermore, there is no way for state standards and district to know, or frankly care if the school is filled with students who teachers have labelled as lazy, dumb, etc. The expectations that are set will determine the path that students walk down. However, teacher who set expectations only for a few will find themselves stuck in the same hole. There must be an expectations of all students, and thus we must set expectations for all faculty to work with each student. I think this can have an easy start point - mandating attendance at IEP/504 meetings, and having teacher put concrete ideas down for how they plan to differentiate for certain students. This starting point will begin the process of creating the correct "all can learn" mindset. (Einsweiler)

Cassandra Hart: Vision is the fuel that leaders run on. It’s the energy that creates action. Such action is what keeps the school moving forward meeting the goals and expectations of the local community, state regulations, and federal guidelines. The most challenging tasks principals face in dealing with difficult teachers is moving out of the nurturing role into one of trying to alter the negative behaviors of staff members. Learn how to recognize ineffective teachers and choose strategies to improve their skills. The techniques that work best with this type of teacher are used in conjunction with the district’s standard evaluation form that provides a record of the teacher’s strengths and weaknesses. As an administrator I can provide additional support by assigning a mentor teacher, organizing peer observations, or structuring team study groups that examine innovative teaching strategies. Each of these strategies is designed to promote discussion and self-examination about effective teaching that affects student learning.